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Getting Ahead in Business
}} The party confronts the mathematical realities of exponential growth. Cast * The Order of the Stick ** Roy Greenhilt ◀ ▶ ** Elan ◀ ▶ ** Belkar Bitterleaf ◀ ▶ ** Durkon Thundershield ◀ ▶ ** Vaarsuvius ◀ ▶ * Hydra ◀ ▶ * Goblin Dan ▶ * Five Goblins * A Kobold * A Hobgoblin * A Troglodyte * An Ogre Transcript Vaarsuvius: Sir Greenhilt, are you planning to putting a stop to this at all? Roy: Wait for it... Elan: Nice backflip, Belkar! Noises off-panel, "schlurkt! POP! POP!" Vaarsuvius: This is ludicrous! The beast becomes more deadly with each decapitation. Roy: Wait for it... Belkar: The quadruple slice! Noises off-panel, "schlurkt! schlurkt! schlurkt! schlurkt! POPPOP POPPOPPOP POPPOPPOP POPPOP!" Vaarsuvius: If you won't do something, then I shall use my mighty magic to— Belkar (off-panel): Look at me—I'm Robespierre! More noises off-panel, "schlurkt! schlurkt schlurkt! schlurkt! schlurkt! schlurkt! schlurkt! schlurkt! POPPOPPOP POPPOPPOPPOP POPPOPPOPPOP POPPOPPOP—" Roy: NOW! Hydra drops to the ground with all 50 or so heads... "WHUMPH!" Belkar: GAHH! Roy: You see, hydras can only normally grow twice their starting number of heads before reaching their limit. Roy: Once this one got to eleven heads, I figured it would keep on growing them. Eventually, it grew too many heads for its blood supply, and it passed out. Durkon: Couldn't ye just've had V blast it? Roy: Yeah, but this made for a better story. Belkar: Marginally. A goblin appears but is ignored... Elan: What happens to the hydra? It's still alive. Roy: Who cares? We won, let's get out of here. A goblin stands in front of the hydra while Roy and Elan walk away... Roy: What possible value is an unconscious hydra, anyway? Elan: I guess you're right. Flash forward decades in the future where a barbecue joint stands on this spot. The sign reads: On the window is written, "World Famous!" Goblin Dan: ...and THAT'S the story of how I made my first million gold pieces. D&D Context * Roy's first statement about D&D hydras is correct; they can only grow to have twice as many heads as they started with. Unlike this strip, however, they stop at that point. Any additional heads they grew due to combat wither away in a few days and they return to normal. Trivia * This comic possibly serves as proof that the world will not come to an end soon, seeing as how Goblin Dan lived to old age. * Chronologically, the scene of Goblin Dan's BBQ is the latest event to happen in the Order of the Stick timeline. * This is the first appearance of Goblin Dan. * Belkar's line, "Look at me, I'm Robespierre!" is a reference to Maximilien de Robespierre, who was head of Revolutionary France's Committee of Public Safety. He gained infamy for sending countless people to their deaths via guillotine, before ironically meeting the same fate himself. External Links * 326}} View the comic * 5396}} View the discussion thread Category:The Oracle of Sunken Valley